La Muerte Roja Josep Ros Garcia

The work is divided into six themes:

I. Prince Prospero

II. The Red Death

III. Hope

IV. The Masquerade Ball

V. The Clock in the Black Room

VI. The Masque of the Red Death

The Red Death is a work inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's story The Masque of the Red Death. It takes place in a city ruled by Prospero, prince of a fictitious nation. A plague has attacked his entire region, causing fever, sharp pains and bloody sweats leading to death. Prospero, fleeing from the Red Death and hoping to survive, decides to lock himself in his abbey along with several hundred nobles from his court. There they enjoy extravagant pleasures, fun, dancing and masquerade parties.

One night, the Prince decides to organise the finest masquerade party ever. For this, he chooses seven rooms in his abbey, each painted in a different colour. Their stained-glass windows are the same tone as the walls, except for one room, the black room. Its stained-glass windows are painted scarlet, creating a terrifying, ghostly atmosphere, presided over by a large clock that interrupts the party with its chimes every hour, causing an inexplicable fear among the guests. While the guests are enjoying the party, people continue to die outside, attacked by disease, un-succoured by any help.

All the guests attend the masquerade party wearing masks. During the course of the ball, Prospero notices a stranger in a black costume with his face covered by a strange mask. The Prince challenges the stranger to identify himself. To everyone's horror, the guest reveals himself to be not merely a victim of the disease but the personification of Death itself. From that moment on, all the occupants in the abbey contract the disease and die. Compulsory piece for the 4rd Division in the 39 Wind Band Contest "Comunidad Valenciana" 2017.